A Second Chance
by leopardbabe
Summary: Harry Potter finds that his dead Godfather, Sirius, left him all of his posessions. When Harry finally works up the nerve to look at them, he finds and old diary, a time-turner, and a second chance...
1. The Time Turner

A boy sat alone in the dark attic of number twelve, Grimmauld Place. Everyone else was downstairs, merrily eating dinner, not a care in the world besides O.W.L. results and what classes they'd be taking when they returned to Hogwarts. But none of things mattered to this boy, who sat perched on top of an old box with his head in his hands. A jagged scar was embedded in the skin of his forehead.

Harry Potter couldn't bring himself to look around. Everything he touched belonged to him. There were too many memories in this place that Harry couldn't bring himself to face.

He ran his hand alone the chest he was sitting on. Feeling obligated to have looked at something, Harry slid off and kneeled in front of the intensely carved wooden chest. It was black and gold with the Black Family Crest engraved on the top. Harry fingered the lock. He glanced at the key-chain on the floor beside him. With a lump in his throat, he carefully fitted several keys to the lock. The fifth one finally caught, and Harry opened the chest.

Dust flew out, and Harry coughed loudly, his throat burning. He looked away, trying to get the dust from his lungs. When he turned back, he found that he was looking at a chest filled entirely with papers. Confused, Harry picked up the one on top.

_James,_ it read,  
_I found this with my old school things. I don't know how I got a hold of it. All of it goes to you. Maybe one day Harry will have it as well. _

Sirius

Harry's throat closed up again and he fought back tears. Sirius… Harry opened the pouch and found himself staring at a strange, hourglass-type-thing. It looked vaguely familiar. Harry squinted, as though it would help him come up with the answer. There was a golden sphere in the middle of it.

Behind him, the door opened. Hermione and Ron stepped cautiously into the room.

"Um, hey, mate," Ron said, his voice scratchy from the dust. Harry didn't acknowledge that he'd heard him. He heard his friends come up behind him. Ron whistled at whatever it was that Harry was holding. Harry stood up and fingered it. The sphere turned. Harry spun it again and again. He started to feel a falling sensation, and he grabbed a hold of Hermione, who fell onto Ron. Hermione gasped.

"Harry, that's a—" and then they whirled away into darkness.

Suddenly, Harry, Ron, and Hermione found themselves standing in a very _different_ sort of place. No longer were they standing in the dreary attic of number 12, Grimmauld Place, but instead they were standing on a very familiar lawn in front of a very familiar castle. Hermione groaned.

"Now you've done it!" she said angrily, gritting her teeth together. "Do you even know when we are?" Harry shrugged. He didn't care anymore. He could be face-to-face with Voldemort at the height of his powers and he wouldn't care. Hermione let out something of a shriek of impatience. "Look, Harry," she said as gently as she could in her current state, "I know your still upset about Sirius, and maybe _you_ don't care about being stuck somewhere in time, but _I_ certainly do, and I know _Ron_ does. So kick into gear and help us out here!" Harry looked at her for a moment, and then something clicked in his brain. He shook his head.

"Right." He said. Ron and Hermione smiled in relief. "Okay, so we know we're at Hogwarts. But the question is, _when_ are we?" Ron rolled his eyes.

"We know _that,_ mate. The problem is how we figure it _out."_

"Yeah, and knowing how to get back would be nice, too." Harry said with a laugh.

"Well," Hermione said haughtily, "I find that normally when one is stuck in a position they can't get out of, they find Dumbledore. And since we're at Hogwarts anyway…" Ron nodded sagely.

"Yes," he said, "and _I_ find that Hermione is a know-it-all with too much free time on her hands. However," he added, seeing the look on her face, "She's right in this case, so let's go." They dashed off towards the school. And Harry felt, for the first time since Sirius's death, like he was just a normal kid.

When they reached the doorway to Dumbledore's quarters, they began saying all the candies they possibly could.

"Frizzing Whizbees…"

"Chocolate Frogs…"

"Bernie Botts Every Flavor Beans…"

"Lemon Drops…" Harry and Ron stared in disgust at Hermione.

_"Lemon Drops?"_ they asked incredulously. "You've got to be joking! You think that's _candy?"_ Hermione sniffed and turned away. Harry turned to grin at Ron when suddenly the door started to open. Hermione smiled sweetly.

"Lemon Drops." She said, unable to keep the smugness out of her voice. She stepped daintily onto the steps and made her way up. Ron and Harry stared after her for a moment, and then followed. Ron was grumbling to himself about the password, but Harry was just happy to be back at Hogwarts.

They stepped nervously inside. A much-younger looking Dumbledore was sitting at his desk writing diligently. He looked up when they came in.

"Ah, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss…" he trailed off. Hermione blushed.

"Granger, sir." She said. Dumbledore wrinkled his brow and she went on hurriedly, "We're sorry to bother you, sir, but you see…Harry here inherited a Time-Turner from his godfather, and he accidentally set it off when we were all touching, and somehow we all ended up here." Dumbledore raised his eyebrows.

"Harry?" he asked. "My God, you are almost a clone of James Potter!" Harry blushed in looked away.

"He's my dad," he said softly. "I've got my mum's eyes." Dumbledore let out a crinkled smile. He nodded and turned to Ron who said quickly, "Ronald Weasley, sir. Arthur Weasley's son." Another smile escaped the old headmaster. A moment passed, and then Hermione got sick of it.

"Headmaster, I'm sorry to be rude, but we have no idea when we are or how to get back." The headmaster looked up.

"Well," he said, "James Potter and Arthur Weasley are both sixth years." Harry, Ron, and Hermione all stared at one another.

"This," said Hermione, "is wild." Dumbledore laughed.

"What to do with you three?" he asked. They looked at him expectantly. "Very well. You can stay. What houses?"

"Gryffindor." They answered at once. He smiled again. Then he grew serious.

"Do you know the rules of the Time-Turner?" he asked. Hermione, Ron, and Harry nodded eagerly. "Good. You may go, Mr. Platoon, Mr. Winters, and Miss Granger." He winked at them and then went back to writing. The three turned and went back to the lower hall.

"Well," Harry said, "I think it best if we go get settled, don't you?" Ron nodded.

"Come on, Mr. Platoon, Mr. Winters," Hermione said with a laugh. "We still need the password."

* * *

**PLEASE REVIEW**


	2. He Struts

That night, Ron, Harry, and Hermione sat in the Common Room for hours on end, talking about what had happened and what _might_ happen. They all decided it best not to mention the fact that Harry and Ron's dads were here. Harry was dead scared about how he was supposed to explain the fact that he was basically identical to James. Ron just laughed it off.

"People look like other people, Harry. It's a fact of life." Harry shrugged he didn't want to go into it with Ron. It would mean thinking back on Sirius's death…a loud crash right outside the door alerted the three students to stop talking about their…hem, hem, _mis_adventure. They switched quickly to classes and spells. Harry tried not to look up when his father, Remus, Sirius, and Peter tumbled in, holding their sides from laughing. He focused on Hermione's lips as she told him how to counter certain spells. A heavy silence fell over the Marauders as Harry felt the gazes of four boys on his head. Then he couldn't bear it any longer and looked up.

"Hello," he said.

"Who are you and why are you in our Common Room?" Sirius asked bluntly, not bothering to be polite. Hermione bristled.

"We transferred from Owlhitch School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in London. It's nice to meet you, too." Sirius's eyes lingered on her a second longer than he meant them too. Ron and Harry grinned.

"Well, that's all fine and good, but who are you?" James asked, ruffling his hair the way Harry did. Ron shrugged, saying, "I'm Ron…_Winters,_ this is Harry Platoon, and she's Hermione Granger." James nodded, seemingly satisfied.

"He looks like you, Prongs." Remus said, scrutinizing Harry. "And bloody hell, what a scar!" Harry looked away.

"Creepy." James said conversationally. "Do you play Quidditch?" Harry and Ron nodded. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Keeper."

"Seeker." James narrowed his eyes.

_"I'm_ the Gryffindor Seeker." He said. Harry shrugged. James turned to Sirius. "We've got to go, Padfoot. I have a feeling McGonagall will want to see us."

"Oh, goody," Sirius said sarcastically. The four trudged out just as a pretty red head stormed in, screaming.

"POTTER I AM GOING TO KILL YOU! I CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO POOR SNAPE—I DON'T CARE IF HE'S A GREASY GIT, YOU HAVE NO RIGHT—" she stopped as she found herself gazing into emerald green eyes. She took a great intake of breath and backed away. "H-h-hi," she said. "I'm L-Lily Evans. Nice to m-meet you." And then she dashed out. James narrowed his eyes again.

"Lily is mine, Harry," he said. Harry backed away.

"Absolutely. I would _definitely_ agree on that one." James looked at him once more and strutted out. Harry felt a strange sort of anger boil up in him.

"You know," he said quietly, "I'm beginning to think Snape was right. My father _does_ strut." An awkward silence answered him. He sighed, and then randomly slammed his fist on a nearby table. "Bloody hell!" he shouted angrily. "I come all the way here and he—he—he _struts!"_ Hermione put a hand gently on his shoulder.

"Harry," she said gently, "he's sixteen and a Quidditch star. _Of course_ he struts. That doesn't make him a bad person! For heavens' sake, it's just a way of walking!"

Lily took several swallows of air. _Who_ had she just seen? He had been practically a _clone_ of James, and yet…he was…different. She heard voices and looked around the corner. The strange boy and his two friends were walking down the hall, laughing. She took a deep breath.

"Um, hello." She said awkwardly. The green-eyed boy stared at her. She wanted to melt. He was _so handsome…_ "I'm sorry about before. I—well, you look startlingly like James Potter—it was a little strange…" she trailed of, feeling stupid. "I, ah, didn't catch your name." suddenly the boy broke out into a smile. Lily almost swooned.

"Harry," he said, his voice gentle. "Harry Po…Platoon. It's nice to meet you, Lily Evans." She smiled dreamily. _Harry Platoon…_

"Ron Winters."

"Hermione Granger." She smiled at the both of them, forcing herself to be normal and not throw herself into Harry's arms. Harry smiled, and Lily felt a sense of peace. It surrounded all those near him. She felt her heart to a flip.

"Well, we were just going down to get a bite to eat, if you'd like to come." Hermione's voice cut through the air. Lily smiled at her, but felt oddly jealous. _Is she Harry's girlfriend?_

Harry glanced at Hermione in accusation. _Why is my mother acting so weird?_ He thought desperately. _I've probably offended her, too._ He sighed and then smiled. Lily got that weird look again and smiled back.

* * *

**PLEASE REVIEW**


End file.
